Writing – SteveWhittythoughts1965

August 31, 2025

Health Scare Reflections: Moving Forward in Life

The past week has been eventful to say the least. Starting with the bank holiday, I thought everything was going swimmingly. In fact, it might have gone too well, and life has a habit of kicking you in the nuts when you least expect it.

I had helped Pete drop a big batch of records off at Oxfam. These were albums that had belonged to the BBC, and there were over 500 of them, which were housed in big boxes. Pete’s health has not been too good, and I carried those boxes into the shop. Nothing untoward there. The rest of the weekend went well, though I suffered from indigestion.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent most of Tuesday at A&E Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. Though everything went well after a couple of days, what had happened previously hit me. I felt sad and down. I should have known better than to try to overpush my body by lifting heavy weights, be it boxes or at the gym. Also, I started to question a few things in my life.

One of my great passions is music. I have built up a big collection of LPs and singles during my lifetime. However, now I am questioning the whole point of it. A lot of the records have not been played in a long time.

The other big passion of mine is travel. In my younger years, I travelled a lot, especially in Eastern Europe. I met a lot of good, friendly, helpful people while on my travels. This is the opposite of what is currently going on in the U.K. Currently, my niece and her partner are travelling around South America. I have to be honest to say I feel jealous at this moment. My feet are becoming itchy, and I wish to explore the world. At 60 years of age, my time has become limited.

To end this post on a positive note, I have my holiday to Turkey coming up in three weeks, and I have been looking forward to this. I am going to take a complete break for two weeks and sort out my next steps.

Until the next post, take care of yourselves.

October 7, 2013October 7, 2013

I’m Back

I have been back from my Balkans trip for a few days. This has given me time to reflect on the effect it has had on me. My colleagues at work have all noticed that I could not wipe the smile off my face. It was down to having the greatest of times while travelling.

I was grateful to work for allowing me to take three weeks off in the first place. This allowed me for the first time to plan a multi-destination trip. I had always wanted to visit the old Yugoslavia.

The trip itself went better than I had expected. From day 1 I met some great people who took me for what I was. Indeed, there were some people who admired me for travelling solo at my age. During the whole trip I felt alive and stress free. It is definitely something I want to do more. It was the best of times. The only problem I encountered was financial. This is one of the things I can learn from for future travels.

How do I feel now the trip is over? Surprisingly better than I thought. Last year when I returned from Prague and Bratislava I found myself bursting into tears. Now, I feel different. Maybe it is because I am a more experienced travellers. Also I felt a sense of achievement with my latest trip. It is said if you can survive a three week journey then the next step will be to undertake a longer trip. My dream is to take a long time away from work and go on a trip lasting six months or longer.

I am feeling more confident. Solo travel gives you that feeling as you have to think a lot on your feet. Meeting new people is something I feel difficult at home, yet this is not problem when travelling. After all we have something in common. Travel is the glue that binds us together. I like to feel that I have gained a level of respect from my work colleagues. They cannot stop talking to me about my trip.

What have I learnt for my next trip? The main lesson will be to be more flexible with my itinerary. I will have a starting and finishing location. This will give me the freedom to plan my destinations. Also I lave learnt not to be in one place for too long. I averaged three nights in each location. In hind site it could have been two and I could have seen more. Allow time to write my journal, update the blog and catch up on my emails. I had been lazy so I am catching up with myself.

To finish I would like to thank everybody who I have met during the trip. It has made my time more special. I wish you all safe travels.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

Posted with Blogsy

January 28, 2013January 28, 2013

My Travel Tech for 2013

As this year I have decided to devote more of my spare time to travel I need to ensure that my tech is up to speed. There are five items that I will be taking with me on my travels.

1. iPad 4 64GB Wi-fi

This is my latest piece of tech. I am not a full time travel blogger so the iPad gives me all that I need. There are plenty of apps available and I can make hardware changes such as adding a Bluetooth keyboard if required. I am using Blogsy for updating my blog. If I were to become a full time blogger then of course I would look to invest in a MacBook or MacBook Air. I have tried to a Windows 8 laptop but I found it to be a frustrating experience. I am back to what I know and love.

2. iPhone 4S 16GB

This is my third iPhone and I have never suffered any problems with them apart from battery life. It is a device that can do almost everything. Take photos, play music, be a GPS and you can make calls too. My favourite apps are Spotify and Instagram. With iCloud it links to the iPad. As for battery life I take a power pack as back up. I never leave home without it.

3.Panasonic Lumix LZ20 Bridge Camera

I am not the world's greatest photographer as these photos show. This is a area that I wish to improve on. While I am not ready to move to a DSLR this is the next step up. Hopefully in the coming months you will notice the results.

4. Amazon Kindle

This is purely for reading. I do travel on long coach journeys and it allows time to pass. There are plenty of books stored on it. A big plus is that the battery life lasts a long time between charges.

5. iPod Classic 160GB (2007)

Old faithful, this has been with me on a lot of my travels. Lasts a long time on one charge it allows me to have all the music I need. Even better when shuffle is on.

These devices should keep me happy. Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

Posted with Blogsy

December 30, 2012

Ten Things to do in 2013

As the new year approaches thoughts turn to what I would like to achieve in 2013. On the whole 2012 was a good year for me, now it is time for me to look forward.

Over the previous years experience I have found New Year’s resolutions are pointless. They put too much pressure on you and are usually broken before the end of the first week in January. So instead I am going to set myself some achievable tasks for 2013. This time next year we can look at how well I have done or not.

Purchase the domain name for the blog – If I am looking for the blog to grow I need to take control of the layout. Purchasing the domain name will allow me to do a lot more.
Take better photographs – I have recently ordered myself a Panasonic Lumix LZ20 Bridge Camera. This will hopefully make a difference from the compact camera. I know that despite the camera I should take more time when photographing my subjects.
Spend at least two hours a day on the blog or travel planning – In life you get out what you put into it. This is especially true of successful travel blogging.
Start making contact with my fellow bloggers – I have made some contact with some travel bloggers. Now I want to extend that to add more.
Start introducing myself to the travel industry – To be able establish contacts will be a great way of promoting the blog but also hopefully promoting their products too.
Attend a trade show – TBEX is probably out of my league for this year. However, the World Travel Fair in could be realistic.
Explore my local area more – As travellers we can be guilty at looking at the sights that are far away and ignore the ones that are closest to us.
Make more contact with local people – The one thing I could say I am guilty of is not making contact with the local population. It was only when I was in Bratislava that I started to do that and it made my visit more enjoyable.
Sort out the travel finances – I have sorted out a prepaid card for travel. It would make sense to transfer the spare cash I have onto the card. I get cashback when I use it. Sounds like a bargain to me.
Upgrade my travel tech – I have a Macbook dating back to 2007 but it is starting to be on its last legs. I travel with my IPad 2 but at 16GB I struggle to manage the memory. An upgrade is in order.

There you go my list of ten things that I want to do in 2013. If I achieve 50% of this I will be happy.

Finally I want to wish everybody a safe, healthy and Happy New Year.

Steve

December 20, 2012December 20, 2012

Review of 2012

As 2012 is drawing to a close it is always customary to look back. For myself the year has brought so many positives into my life.

First positive is that I have sat down and set up the blog. There have been numerous attempts at blogging but none of them had amounted to much and I soon gave up. It helped that I chose travel as the topic. It has given me something to focus on. I am happy with the way it has turned out. Now this blog has over 1,000 views. This is very encouraging and it is going to give me more focus to keep it going into 2013.

Of course no travel blog work without content. So 2012 was the year where I took travel more seriously. The highlights were the time I spent in Madrid during the summer. Also the trip to Prague and Bratislava in September. 2012 was the year that I felt I became a backpacker of sorts. Also I started to enjoy the delights of staying in hostels. While I was in Madrid I witnessed the joy of the Spanish celebrating their victory in Euro 2012. The beauty of Prague was a sight to behold. The relaxed atmosphere of Bratislava was something that would stay with me too. I also rediscovered my love of London. All this has inspired me for 2013. I cannot wait.

Also 2012 saw the London Olympics. I admitted to being a sceptic worrying it would be a success. To be proved wrong was a joyful moment. I was on jury service during the games so I spent a lot of time watching the events on the TV in between cases. This brought people together and you could see the response to the successes and how everybody joined together to celebrate. For the first time in a long while I felt proud to be British. I still feel proud today.

Overall I feel grateful to have the support of my family and friends. Also the support and encouragement of the blogging community. Be it with views and comments or the thank you messages for retweets.

Moving forward 2013 is going to be a good year. Be it with more travel adventures or just connecting with new people. I look forward to sharing it with you.

All I need to say now is to wish every one of you a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Happy Christmas Everybody from midlifewanderlust1965

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

December 6, 2012

My Favorite Travel Blogs

My blog has been going since May. In its own little way I am pleased with how it is progressing and in 2013 I will be looking to build on this further. 2012 has also seen an increase in the number of travel blogs I have started to follow. Here are a list of my favorites.

Indie Travel Podcast

This is the blog that had initially fulled my desire to travel. Craig and Linda Martin have created a mini industry with their site. You can purchase various travel guides that cover all aspects of travel. The also offers travel advice and links to booking tours and accommodation. As the name suggests Craig and Linda also produce an entertaining and informative podcast. I consider this to be recommended listening to anybody who has an interest in travel. www.indietravelpodcast.com

Over Yonderlust

An award-winning blog run by Shaun and Erica Kuschel who have been on the road for over 30 months. As well as the entertaining stories they it is the stunning photography that keep me returning every time. This was rewarded by HostelBookers who gave it the Epic Photography Award this year. Congratulations it was well deserved. www.overyonderlust.com

Caroline in the City

This well written blog has also become one of my favorites. Caroline Eubanks is a freelance writer and this shows in the quality of her writing. There are plenty of posts relating to Caroline’s travels. There are also links to her photos and videos. Caroline is also very generous to other aspiring writers. Every month subscribers to the blog receive a round-up of the opportunities that are available for paid and unpaid writing jobs. http://www.carolineinthecityblog.com

A Dangerous Place

This is another blog that is starting to reap the rewards for the hard work that has been put into it. Amanda posts look at the quirky side of travel as well as being informative. Like the majority of blogs there are photos and videos. What I like about this blog is the way Amanda portrays the enjoyment of being able to travel and write. Long may this continue. http://www.dangerous-business.com

Runaway Juno

A very successful blog that was set up by Juno Kim. The blog is excellently laid out. There are sections on Juno recent travels to Europe as well photo and videos. One of her videos was featured recently in an issue of TRVL, congratulations on that. What I most like about the blog is the tips it offers to aspiring bloggers such as myself. It is like having a mentor you can call on. http://www.runawayjuno.com

Disrupting the Rabblement

A blog that I have recently stumbled on and how glad I am to have done so. Niall Doherty gives update on his travels. Each email you receive also includes a You Tube video. He delivers each video with wit and are always entertaining. They shot in one take so you hear people walking around him. To me this is an original way of letting everybody know your thoughts. Subscribers to the blog also receive a monthly financial update from Niall. http://www.ndoherty.com

Easy Hiker

This blog is dedicated to those who enjoy hiking the great outdoors. Each post looks at walks around Europe especially in France and Germany. The blog contains excellent writing as well as great photos. I am particularly fond of this blog as both Michael and Marlys have given me support with my blog. I do appreciate the time take to retweet, like on Facebook or comment my posts. Thank you. http://www.easyhiker.co.uk

There are many other travel blogs that I read and follow. If I have not mentioned you please do not be offended. There is no such thing as a bad travel blog.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve